Location: Philadelphia, PA
Institution Type: Private
Campus Setting: Urban
Dental Doctoral Degree: Doctor of Dental Medicine
Mission Statement: “Foster a humanistic environment where each individual in our diverse community is valued, respected and empowered. Treat our patients with compassion and respect, and provide exceptional evidence-based care. Honor Penn Dental Medicine’s legacy through transformative initiatives to solve the complex problems of today and tomorrow. Shape the global dental profession by teaching evidence-based knowledge and providing opportunities to pursue individualized development for life-long learning. Promote interdisciplinary collaborations that accelerate innovation and scientific discovery to address unmet needs in health. Mentor exceptional leaders in education, research and oral health.”

Year Opened: 1878
Number of Months to Earn Degree: 45
Campus Housing Available: Yes
Class Size: 150
Term Type: Semester

Combined degrees offered:

B.A./B.S.

M.B.A.

M.P.H.

M.S.

Ph.D.

Other Degrees

M.S in Bioethics, Education, and Translational Research
Other degrees: M.S.E in bioengineering; J.D. (law)

International Dental Graduate Programs:

Traditional Predoctoral Program for IDGs

Advanced Standing Program for IDGs

Yes

Admissions Statistics: (2022 Applicant and Entering Class Data)

Mean Age of First-Time, First-Year Enrollees: 23

Acceptance Rates by Location:

Number of Applicants

Number of Enrollees

Enrollment Rate

Overall

2211

150

6.78%

In-State

133

10.53%

Out-State

1831

124

6.77%

International

247

4.86%

Class Breakdown by Residency:

Number of Enrollees

Percentage of Incoming Class

In-State

9.33%

Out-State

124

82.67%

International

8.00%

Academic Averages for Acceptance:

DAT Academic Average

DAT Perceptual Ability

Cumulative GPA

Science GPA

22.9

21.8

3.77

3.71

Range of Academic Averages for Acceptance:

5th Percentile of Enrollees

95th Percentile of Enrollees

DAT Academic Average

Cumulative GPA

3.49

3.99

Science GPA

3.33

4.00

Prerequisites

Preferred

Strongly Preferred

Required

Baccalaureate is:

Required Coursework:

Required Course

Credits (Semesters/Quarters)

Required Lab

Biology

2 semesters/3 quarters

General Chemistry

2 semesters/3 quarters

Organic Chemistry

2 semesters/3 quarters

Physics

2 semesters/3 quarters

Biochemistry

1 semesters/1 quarter

Mathematics

1 semesters/1 quarter

English Composition (speech, literature, humanities courses, freshman writing seminars, technical/business writing, and other writing intensive courses)

2 semesters/3 quarters

Recommended Courses Include: Anatomy, Cell Biology, Histology, Immunology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology/Genetics, Physiology, and Zoology

Community College Coursework and Advanced Placement Credit:

Prerequisites

Electives

AP Credit Accepted

Yes

Community College Coursework Accepted

Yes

Maximum number of Community College Credit Hours:

Required Shadowing Hours:

Minimum of 100 hours prior to application submission, of which 50 must be in general dental practices

Letters of Recommendation:

Option 1: Two letters from professors, preferably from the applicant’s major course of study. Science faculty is not required unless you are a science major.
Option 2: Committee letter

Dental Admissions Test Requirements:

Mandatory DAT

Canadian DAT Accepted?

Applicants Evaluated Before Official DAT Submission?

DAT Score Considered

Yes

Highest score in subject area is considered

Supplemental Information:

Participation in ADEA AADSAS

Required Supplemental Application

Supplemental Application Fee

Yes

Yes: $60 fee for all students

Interview Format

Not reported

Finances and Application Logistics

Financial Estimations for students starting Fall 2023:

Year

In-State Tuition

Out-State Tuition

Additional Fees

Estimated Living Expenses

$86,448

$28,784

$17,600

$86,448

$21,656

$15,840

$86,448

$26,772

$21,120

$86,448

$21,356

$15,840

University Offerings

1. Academic Offerings

Pre-Dental Opportunities
- Summer Enrichment Courses
  - Introduction to Dentistry Summer Program
- Online Coursera courses
  - Introduction to Dental Medicine
  - The Oral Cavity: Portal to Health and Disease
Research
- Summer Research Program allows students to experience basic and clinical dental research with a faculty advisor. Students work full time during the summer and continue during the academic year.
- Honors Research Courses are offered
- Students can directly reach out to faculty to participate in independent research
- Research focuses include oral microbiology and virology, inflammation and immunity, tooth development, mucosal disease, salivary gland disease, and more.

2. Clinical Experiences

Clinical Curriculum Overview
- D1: Students are introduced to relevant medical and dental human biology concepts and begin preclinical courses in restorative dentistry at the Advanced Simulation Laboratory.
  - Clinical rotations on oral medicine, periodontics, health promotion, and radiology
  - Assist D3 and D4 students on the clinic floor
- D2: Continued preclinical work in the Advanced Simulation Laboratory. Clinical experiences in anesthesia, community health, endodontics, orthodontics, and periodontics.
  - Students begin to provide direct patient care in hygiene and operative dentistry.
- D3-D4: Students function as full-time comprehensive dental practitioners, utilizing combined knowledge from every dental specialty.
Postdoctoral and Residency Programs
- Graduate Dental Education programs:
  - Advanced Education in General Dentistry program
  - Certificates in:
    - Endodontics
    - Oral Medicine
    - Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
    - Orthodontics
    - Pediatric Dentistry
    - Periodontics
    - Periodontics/Orthodontics
    - Periodontics/Prosthodontics
    - Prosthodontics

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